WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. attorney whose office has been investigating mortgage fraud allegations against New York Attorney General Letitia James has been told to resign or be fired, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press Friday. This comes amid a push by Trump administration officials to bring criminal charges against the perceived adversary of the president.
The move to replace Erik Siebert, a career prosecutor in the prestigious Eastern District of Virginia, was described
by a person who was not authorized to discuss the matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity. It was uncear who told Siebert he was being removed, what reason was given or who might replace him.
Spokespeople for Seibert’s office and the Justice Department declined to comment Friday.
The development comes as Trump administration officials have been aggressively pursuing allegations against James arising from alleged paperwork discrepancies on her Brooklyn townhouse and a Virginia home. The Justice Department has spent months conducting the investigation but has yet to bring charges, and it's not clear that prosecutors have managed to uncover any degree of incriminating evidence necessary to secure an indictment.
To the extent the effort to replace Siebert is designed to hasten criminal charges, the move is likely to deepen concerns that the department — already investigating other public figures President Donald Trump regards as foes — is being weaponized by a White House seeking to have its prosecutorial powers used for purposes of retribution.
James' lawyers have vigorously denied any allegations and characterized the investigation as an act of political revenge.
ABC News was first to report that Trump administration officials were pressuring prosecutors to bring charges and that the Republican administration was preparing to oust Siebert, who was nominated by Trump to the top job in the office after having worked there for more than a decade.
James has long been a particular source of outrage for Trump, in part because of a civil lawsuit she filed against him and his company that resulted in a massive financial penalty. That penalty was thrown out last month by an appeals court that narrowly upheld a judge’s finding that Trump had engaged in fraud by exaggerating his wealth for decades.
____ Associated Press writer Michael R. Sisak in New York contributed to this report.
